Chapter one
The dark night seemed to drag on, the stars shined brightly in the sky as the village continued to burn. The flames had now died down, and as the wind blew the remnants of the wooden houses glowed red.
A little from the village where a small river ran was an oasis. Large weeping willow trees surrounded the small pool. Their branches curved low until the leaves skimmed the surface of the pool causing great ripples to stir the otherwise calm waters. On one of the branches sat a she-elf. She wore a long flowing brown/green dress and had it not been for her peachy skin you would have thought she was part of the tree. Her dark hair blew gently in the wind as a small smile played across her rosy lips as she sung a sweet lullaby to herself. Oblivious to what was happening the other side of the forest the she-elf carried on singing in a cheerful manner.
As she sang a deer drew closer. It came to the bank of the pool and drank. All the while the sweet lullaby continued.
As the lullaby drew to an end a bright light shone a little way from the bank of the pool. Both creature and she-elf seemed alarmed at this but before either could move the light shone brighter and then it disappeared completely, leaving them both stunned and unable to move. It was the curiosity of the she-elf that broke the spell like moment. As she dropped to the ground the deer took off leaving the mystery behind.
It came as a surprise to the she-elf to discover that the light had left behind a child. Not an elf like she was but a mortal child dressed in the most unimaginable clothes the she-elf had seen. As she drew closer to inspect the child, it moved.
It's eyes flickered open revealing a pair emerald orbs which sparkled in the night. The mortals hair was a dark shade of brown with highlights of gold throughout it. The she-elf, though amazed at her findings backed away in fright as the mortal sat up and straightened it's peculiar clothing.
"Where am I?" The child's voice sounded frightened and curious. As if waking from deep sleep the child brought her hands to her eyes and tried to rub away the sleep that had been there only moments ago. She looked around and to her surprise she found the she elf staring at her with curiosity and sympathy written over her beautiful features.
The she-elf stepped closer and spoke in elvish words of comfort as she kneeled down beside the lost looking child.
The child stared back and as an instinct it threw out it's hands and called out one single word which both stunned and intrigued the she-elf.
"Mommy?" the child's green eyes seemed to grow larger as her face now grew pleading and even more frightened than before. Slowly the she-elf brought her hand around the child and stood up holding the child as if she were a precious toy.
"You are safe my little one" The she-elf spoke trying to calm the fears of the child she held, her voice filled with a new love that brought such a wonderful feeling to her but that also scared her.
With no more words spoken between them the she-elf began to walk back to her village singing softly a lullaby to the child she held. The tiredness of the child now showed as her head softly fell on the she-elf's shoulder.
A child that brought happiness
Sadness soon forgotten
Responsibility took over
Such sweetness never gotten
Close to the edge of the forest the she elf stopped in her tracks. Her heightened senses soon alerted her to danger. The smell of fire now seemed to choke her lungs and before she could think of something to do her brain had already decided and her legs began to move in the opposite direction. She ran as fast as she could, trying her hardest to not awaken the child which surprisingly enough was still asleep.
As soon as she emerged from the forest on the other side the she elf let out a relieved breath before continuing more slowly towards Rivendell where she knew she would find her sanctuary.